SPRING-BEARING COURAGE

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #readwomen, autumn, courage, creative writing, fall, italian, italian women in translation, Italy, n translation, people, poem, poetry, read women, seasons, spring, translation, translation thursday, women writers, words.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Verusca Costenaro (1974 – ), ‘Il coraggio che fa primavera’

It’ll be from your comicseyes

that a new courage will rise

for the autumn, it’ll tangle in the wind

and the wind will paint it snowinter

so that the sun may thaw it

fresh in spring, it’ll be

a bearing of violets and mixture of calls,

cerulean choir bearing life in the background to desire,

the sprint of wings on the field, to feed on the grass that will grow,

summervoice adorned of an evergreen yellow,

a remedy to the fears brought by good

dreams of a small evening in august.

Featured image via caffellattefirenze

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THE HARBOUR

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #italianwomenintranslation, #readwomen, Anna Belozorovitch, blond, breath, burning, change, Concrete, creative writing, evolution, harbour, Il porto, impressions, in translation, italian, italian women in translation, lament, poetry, read women, sound, translation, womb, women writers.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Anna Belozorovitch (Moscow, 1983 – ), ‘Il porto’ from Il Debito

The harbour breathes as everything changes;
it carries in its womb the still change,
the evolution to turmoil-based unexpectedness,
the summer heat. And it makes no soundContinue Reading

UNTITLED

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #italianwomenintranslation, #readwomen, body, creative writing, distance, hope, hopeful, horizon, italian women in translation, journey, lips, Nadia Campana, poem, poetry, read women, verso la mente, women writers.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Nadia Campana (1954-1985), untitled from Verso la Mente

more of the living during the journey
many horizons for hours and hours
submerged in distanceContinue Reading

THE WOMEN ARE LAUGHING IN THE GYM

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #readwomen, andrew mcmillan, bodies, caterina sinibaldi, creative writing, endorphins, exercise, gym, health, italian women in translation, le donne ridono in palestra, love, muscles, music, poem, poetry, read women, sugar, tears, the men are weeping in the gym, vitamins, women, women writers.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Caterina Sinibaldi, after Alex Valente’s translation of Andrew McMillan’s ‘the men are weeping in the gym’, ‘le donne ridono in palestra’

the women are laughing in the gym
on smooth backs words run to the music,
thoughts and dreams on sweaty mats.
solitary machines with white towels sing the intimate exhaustion of a quietness
women.Continue Reading

NOT YET SPRING

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #readwomen, ada negri, clouds, february, flowers, hide and seek, in translation, italian women in translation, non e ancora primavera, poem, poetry, primavera, read women, seaons, snow, spring, translate, translation, weather, wind, women writers.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Ada Negri (1870-1945), ‘Non è ancora primavera’

Spring? It’s still early February
and there is plenty of snow to fall, still:
still plenty of cold to bite.
And yet, now that I consider it
and take a better look around,
the announcement of Spring is not just
on the mouth of the flower seller
left on the corner of the road.Continue Reading

THE SUMMER OF STARS LESS STRIKING

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged astrophiles, Biancamaria Frabotta, bright, climate, creative writing, darkness, discover, humanity, in translation, italian, italian women in translation, L’estate delle stelle, lens, locals, NASA, night, poem, poet, poetry, shadow, space, space poetry, stars, strangers, summer, translation, unearthed.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Biancamaria Frabotta (1946 – ), ‘L’estate delle stelle…’

The summer of stars less striking
encouraged locals and strangers
to hope in a return of ancient climates.
On the yellow grass unstable in the sparse
humours drinks remained half-full
another fuel to have sleepless nights.Continue Reading

FRIEND SISTER COMRADE ENEMY

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Arts and tagged #readwomen, change, comrade, creative writing, Edith Bruck, enemy, Eve, friend, God, hate, in translation, italian, italian women in translation, mulberry tree, murder, naked, pain, poem, poetry, preacher, read women, sister, smile, teacher, translation, uniform, word, you.

by Alex Valente

Original Italian by Edith Bruck (1932-), ‘Amica sorella compagna nemica’

Friend sister comrade enemy
for one gesture of yours my pain
could still change and dissolve
at the tip of a mulberry tree
on the sleigh of two planks nailed
by the boy who behind the stable
would caress between our legs with feathers so soft.Continue Reading